


relax, take it easy

by iamnotalizard



Category: 6teen
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, but also idk the timeline, what's better than this just guys being dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 03:52:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnotalizard/pseuds/iamnotalizard
Summary: Sometimes Jonesy wishes it could be as easy with girls as it is with Jude.





	relax, take it easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Peachywlw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peachywlw/gifts).



> 6teen is my favorite anime

The room is silent except for the noises coming from the TV - the sound of punches hitting flesh and groans, every once in awhile a bodiless voice will say, “Finish him!” - and buttons being pressed. Jude and Jonesy are sitting next to each other on the floor, legs bumping into the other’s as they jerk and twitch in reaction to what’s going on on screen.

Tiffany broke up with Jonesy today; they were only dating for a few days, so Jonesy doesn’t care much, but it’s tradition. Every time Jonesy gets dumped, Jude stays over.

He doesn’t know when this tradition started, but they always have a good time, so he doesn’t question it.

Sometimes Jonesy wishes it could be as easy with girls as it is with Jude.

“Sometimes I wish girls were as easy to be with as guys,” Jonesy says, after modifying the thought a bit. 

Jude hums, “Dude, I _totally_ get that,” his leg twitches, as he presses B, to make his character roundhouse kick Jonesy’s, “Girls are complicated.”

“I know right. I wish I could just date dudes instead, that’d be so much easier.” Jonesy replies without thinking. After a moment his eyes widen at his own statement.

Jude seems unphased as ever. He’s silent for a few seconds, before asking, “Then why don’t you?”

“Why don’t I do what?”

“Date dudes?”

Jonesy opens his mouth to reply, but finds he can’t say anything. Why doesn’t he? He thinks about it for a moment. Jude is royally kicking his ass on screen, but Jonesy doesn’t really mind at the moment.

He knows that he finds guys attractive, has stated more than once that a coworker or random boy is hot. Guys hit on him sometimes, and most of the time he doesn’t really mind. Diego and Robbie would definitely make fun of him if he brought home a boyfriend, but they do that when he brings home girlfriends. His mom and dad probably wouldn’t care, and he knows that Jen’s mom is okay with ‘all that stuff’ as she said one day.

Why doesn’t Jonesy date guys?

“Because I’m not gay.” He replies, a few seconds too late. Too much time has passed since Jude asked, the statement rings throughout the room. It sounds false. Neither boys know why.

Jude shrugs, “Fair enough.”

A deep voice calls out, “Game over!” and letters cover the screen. The air in Jonesy’s room is tense. They can hear Robbie and Diego yelling down the hall. Jonesy can feel himself start to sweat, despite the fact that he and Jude are both shirtless.

“Want to try another level?” Jude asks. The tension disappears as soona s Jonesy nods, promising that he’ll kick Jude’s ass this time.

They play until late in the night, before passing out on Jonesy’s bed. For the first time ever, Jonesy realises how close they sleep together. He also realizes he doesn’t really care.

  


The next day a guy flirts with Jonesy while he’s sitting alone at the food court.  Jonesy flirts back before he realizes what he’s doing.

He ends up making out with him inside a photo booth for ten minutes. Eventually Julian has to get to work, so he leaves with a shy smile and a flush on his cheeks.

Jonesy goes back to the table and sits down. Caitlin is late to her shift at the Big Squeeze and for once, he’s thankful.

 

Jude is driving him home - he _still_ can’t believe some idiot gave Jude a license and not him - and Jonesy decides to spill.  Jude was the one who suggested it after all.

“So,” he begins, having to speak loudly over the music, “I may have swapped spit with a dude.”

“Interesting.” He says, as he merges way too quickly into the exit lane. 

“Yeah.” Jonesy agrees, and that’s the end of that. Jude finds other matters more interesting than Jonesy’s rapidedly decresing heterosexuality.

 

Jonesy doesn’t go on a date with a guy right away. There’s a cute girl with short brown hair that giggles and blushes every time he orders a smoothie from her. He asks her out first, goes on a few dates, then breaks up with her when he realizes that his eyes are still straying to the shirtless guys who work at Albatross & Finch.

“I think I may be more into guys than previously thought.” He tells Jude, as he reaches across the front seat to steal the fries out of the fast food bag in Jude’s lap.

“Are ya now?” He asks, reaching over to the car stereo, and for once, turning it down. It makes Jonesy mildly uncomfortable, to be talking about it without any other noise. It just him, Jude and the empty parking lot that the car is sitting in.

“Yeah, like,” he takes a sip of his drink, “I don’t know. I just, I keep looking at guys now when I’m supposed to be looking at girls, and I don’t know what to do.”

Jude nods his head. “Well, I mean, do whatever makes you happy, dude.”

That’s probably the closest Jude can get to telling Jonesy, ‘ _I support you, no matter what, I’m still your friend_ ’ and because of that, Jonesy smiles.

“Jude.” He holds out his fist.

“Dude.” he replies, fist bumping it.

  


Telling everyone feel different than telling Jude, for some reason. Jonesy rationalizes it as if it’s a fluke, if it’s a phase, then he doesn’t want to have to explain it to everyone. Jude will just roll with the punches if Jonesy changes his mind, but the others probably won’t.

He goes on a date with a guy named, Quinn. Quinn doesn’t go to the same high school as Jonesy, he knows, because Quinn only started to flirt when he found out. Quinn takes Jonesy to a movie, stays at least one foot away from him until the theatre is dark, and then he holds his hand. For the 2 hours or so that the film is playing, it’s nice. Quinn’s hand isn’t as small as a girl’s, it has more calluses and the nails aren’t manicured. It feels nice, even when it starts to sweat and they have to let go for a few minutes to wipe them off.

The lights come on and he’s back to being a foot away.

He drives Jonesy home, and before he climbs out of the car, Quinn pulls him in for a goodbye kiss. A goodbye kiss that ends up lasting a few minutes.

Finally, Jonesy says, “My mom is probably wondering what’s taking so long.” and Quinn relents.

Jonesy goes to his room and lays on the bed. It feels good, but it still doesn’t feel easy.

 

Quinn doesn’t last long. Neither does Veronica, Jason, or Derek. It’s not unusual for him, but his friends are starting to notice his absence in the evenings, confused when he tells them that he doesn’t have a date, but, sorry, no, I can’t hang out Friday night.

Jude still comes over after each break up. They’re laying on Jonesy’s bed, squished together and vaguely uncomfortable while they watch a movie. Jude moves occasionally, skin feeling sticky with sweat against Jonesy’s. As always, they stripped down to just boxers before putting the DVD in.

Jonesy is glad that nothing has changed between the two of them.

Jude shifts again, stretching until his shoulder pops, then lets his arm drop until it’s draped over Jonesy’s shoulders. The weight is nice, and Jonesy lets himself ease into Jude. The lack of space kind of forces him to be close, but not to the extent that he’s at.

Just when Jonesy is a few seconds shy from leaning his head on Jude’s chest - somehow he managed to slowly inch down the bed, while Jude remained upright - the bedroom door flies open and Diego bursts in. His eyes flicker over his older brother and Jude, a usual fixture in the household, so he doesn’t bat an eye.

“If you and your _boyfriend_ are done doing each other, dad said to Jude needs to move his car and that you need to let me borrow Mortal Kombat.”

Jonesy picks up the nearest pillow and throws it at Diego's head, “Get out of my room, you little brat!”

Diego cackles and dashes out of Jonesy’s room, at least having enough courtesy to mostly close the door as he exits. Jude retracts his arm from Jonesy’s shoulders and rolls off the bed. He stretches, back cracking,and grins lazily. 

“Guess that mean it’s time to go back to Casa Jude.” He says, already starting to pull on his shirt and pants. Within a few minutes they’re both fully dressed and Jonesy is closing the front door as Jude walks towards his car, which is parked crooked in the driveway.

Jonesy thrusts the Mortal Kombat game into Diego's chest, and says, “Don’t ever embarrass me in front of my friends again.”

Diego rolls his eyes and mutters, “Whatever.”

It isn’t until Jonesy is half asleep that he realizes he never objected to his brother referring to Jude as his boyfriend.

  


He starts thinking about Jude more often. Thinking about the way his lazy smile hasn’t changed since elementary school. About how when he laughs his arms come towards his chest, like some dumb, blond T-Rex. About the way he rambles on and on about the weirdest shit and Jonesy always ends up listening.

About the way his arm feels over Jonesy’s shoulders. About how he was Jude’s first kiss. He thinks about how comfortable Jude looks laying in Jonesy’s bed, naked except for his underwear and his toque.

Jude’s lips are usually chapped and covered in grease from whatever he eats at Stick It!, but Jonesy doesn’t think he would mind kissing him again.

Jude lends him a hoodie one day; it’s raining and Jonesy needs to pick some groceries up for his dad. Jude’s baggy style means that even though Jonesy is taller, the sleeves still reach partway down his hand. It smells stale, and kinda bad, but it smells like Jude. Jonesy is almost tempted to sleep in it that night.

Jonesy quickly realizes that he’s _absolutely fucked._

  


It feels like unfamiliar territory, and it makes Jonesy feel uneasy and on edge. He’s barely used to having genuine crushes on _girls,_ and now he has a crush on one of his best friends.

He considers doing what he does best - ignore his true feelings and go back to dating any girl that’ll look his way because it’s what he’s supposed to do. Jonesy ‘Will Date Any Girl That Breathes’ Garcia, is what Nikki sometimes calls him.

He considers letting it go, but he knows he won’t be able to. He’ll make it awkward, he’ll try too hard, push Jude away, confuse everyone.

At least if he tells Jude, he knows they’ll both be able to get over it after a few weeks.

With this in mind, Jonesy asks Jude if he can give him a ride home, and hey, why don’t we just hang out, just the two of us after your shift ends, and after I get fired?

Jude excitedly agrees, and they spend a few hours singing along badly to Jude’s punk CD’s, throwing stale hot dog buns that Jude swiped from Stick It! at birds in a park, and almost getting in various car accidents.

It’s when Jude is finally driving Jonesy home that he looks over and says, “Hey, Jude?”

“Yeah, dude?”

“Remember your first kiss?”

Jude finally glances over, confusion written on his face, “Yes?” he says, unsure.

“It was really fucking awkward.” Jonesy says, before looking at his lap, “But, it wasn’t awful.”

“Really?”

Jonesy nods, “And, I don’t think I would mind if I did that again.”

“You haven’t been showing me any of the signs, though, dude.”

“Well, I’m not a girl, Jude. The signs are different.”

Jude snorts, but doesn’t say anything. The rest of the ride is mostly filled with gnarly guitar solos and Jonesy occasionally say, “ _Slow down! Jesus, there’s a cop, like, five cars back._ ”

When they reach Jonesy’s house, Jude pulls up to the curb. Jonesy unclips his seatbelt, and mutters a “thanks, man.”

Before he can move to get out, Jude’s hand reaches over and covers Jonesy’s. His hand is damp with sweat, from gripping the steering wheel for so long, and his hands are as rough as Jonesy knew they would be. Between skateboarding, burning himself with grease, and the limited effort he put into skincare, Jonesy would be stupid to think his hands would be soft. But Jude moves his thumb to rub small circles on Jonesy’s wrist, and despite the dryness and scrapes, it feels gentle.

Jonesy will admit to himself that he likes it.

“I dunno about kissing yet, bro.” Jude says, grinning, “But I think we can get there.”

If Jonesy is blushing, neither of them point it out.

  


As it turns out, it does not take long for them to work up to kissing. The very next week finds Jonesy with one hand tangled under Jude’s toque and with Jude’s tongue in his mouth. He’s definitely a better kisser now. Jonesy will have to thank Starr-Nebula, whatever she’s calling herself these days, for helping him out. Jude’s hair is soft under his toque, and Jonesy finds himself thinking that kissing usually isn’t this easy. Usually girls want it a certain way, or move too much, or want to say things in between kisses. The guys that Jonesy have been with either won’t kiss him until they’ve doubled checked that no one is around or end up bruising his lips.

Jude is doing neither. It’s nice.

Of course, Diego throws the door open just as Jude is slipping a hand underneath Jonesy’s too-tight shirt.

Jonesy pushes Jude away - probably too hard - when he hears Diego _scream,_ “Oh my god!”

Jude makes a “whoa!” sound as he falls off the bed. Jonesy darts after Diego, who is quickly sprinting out of the room.

“Diego, I swear to god-” He says, trying to grab a hold of his brother’s shirt.

“Jonesy and Jude were making out!” Diego shrieks, as he slides into the living room, letting Robbie, his dad, and, oh god, Jen’s _mom_ know.

The next half an hour is the most awkward time in all of Jonesy and Jude’s life, and Jonesy spends the whole time plotting how to kill his kid brother.  


 

Jude doesn’t have the same inhibitions that other guys have about being out in public. He throws his arm around Jonesy’s shoulder without hesitation, sometimes let it drop to Jonesy’s waist if he feels like slouching more than usual.

Of course, their friends notice, but just assume they’re being best bros.

“You and Jude have been hanging out a lot more lately.” Jen comments, after watching Jude _specifically_ say bye to Jonesy, giving him a fistbump, when he announced he had to go back to work.

If Jen’s mom wasn’t truly a saint, Jonesy would be suspicion that she told Jen.

Jonesy shrugs, “We’ve been bonding.”

Jen and Nikki look at him suspiciously, as he takes a sip of his lemonade. He doesn’t want to think about ‘coming out’. He just wants things to be easy.

  


Turns out, coming out is pretty easy when you have a boyfriend (? Are they boyfriends, Jonesy wonders, throwing the word around in his mind. It sounds pretty gay, but judging by the way it makes Jonesy grin a bit, he doesn’t think he minds.) who is both affectionate and free spirited.

Really, he’s trying to be nice to Jonesy, which he appreciates, by bringing him coffee tha he picked up on his break.

“Aw, thanks, Jude.” Jonesy says, interrupting the conversation he’s having with Wyatt, taking the cup and putting his hand out for a first bump

“No problemo, my dude.” He presses his knuckles against Jonesy's, before leaning down and pressing a kiss against his jawline.

The gang stare, expecting to see Jonesy ask what the hell, to push Jude away, or even to blow up. They don’t expect Jonesy to snort and reach up with his free hand to pull Jude down for a quick kiss on the lips.

Jude slips into his normal spot like nothing happened, and starts talking about a show he saw the night before.

“Okay, wait, wait, wait.” Nikki says, interrupting Jude. He looks over at her, waiting for her to continue. “You just- you just walked over and you. You kissed Jonesy!” her voice slowly getting louder, but not loud enough to alarm other people in the food court.

“And Jonesy kissed you back!” Wyatt adds.

Jonesy and Jude look at each other and shrug.

“You would be correctamundo in that observation.” Jude says.

“Yeah, Wyatt, that’s what people who are dating each other do.” Jonesy adds, making sure there is no confusion.

There a few seconds of silence, before the table explodes with questions.

Jonesy and Jude sigh.

“This is totally harshing my vibe.” Jude mutters. Jonesy has to agree.  


 

It’s gets easier soon after. Their friends get used to Jonesy mentioning dates he has with Jude, get used to Jude hugging Jonesy from behind, of the inappropriate jokes that suddenly feel a lot more personal. After a few days, Wyatt and Nikki even move over a seat so that Jude and Jonesy can sit next to each other.

Most of Jude’s breaks are spend with his leg thrown over Jonesy’s thighs and Jonesy’s arm resting on his shoulders.

It feels normal, them dating. It feels like it’s always have. Them sitting in Jonesy’s room playing video games is the same as always, them going to the movies is the same, their late night, and frankly dangerous, car rides are the same. The only difference is sometimes they’ll hold hands, and now Jonesy has to leave his door open a crack at home.

Sometimes they like to mess with Ron the Rent-A-Cop by making out in the mall, their friends now laughing as Ron struggles to handle the situation without coming off as prejudice, after Jude waxed poetically about how Ron’s rude and hurtful words (telling them that no one wanted to see them with their tongues down each other’s throats while sitting by the fountain) came off as oppressive and how he would be speaking to the mall head office about the homophobic security guard who tried to limit Jude’s sexual freedom. 

Diego and Robbie do give him shit about having a boyfriend, but after a few weeks they run out of steam. Partly because no other partner had lasted this long, so they never had to keep coming up with fresh material and partly because they realize that it easier to make fun of them as individuals, not as a couple.

Jude sleeps over more often now, without the excuse of helping Jonesy through a break up. The routine is the same as always; they strip down to the bare necessities, before playing a videos games for a few hours, and when they feel like hitting the sack, they simply squeeze onto Jonesy’s bed. The difference now, though, is that they don’t bother trying to keep an inch or two between them. Jude just throws his arm over Jonesy’s waist and Jonesy usually ends up with his face buried in Jude’s hair.

“Night, Jude.” Jonesy yawns, pressing a kiss to Jude’s head.

He hums, contently, and gives a sleep-slurred, “Night, dude.”

Eyes closed, body warm, and relaxed, Jonesy wonders if falling in love with Jude will be as easy as dating him.

**Author's Note:**

> i have no memory of the timeline of 6teen but anyways, jude is a gay jewish dude and jonesy is a bisexual hot mess also nikki is a trans girl

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Collateral Damage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710958) by [Qu33rios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qu33rios/pseuds/Qu33rios)




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